Algonquin Park waste management recognized by commission

AWARD-WINNING WASTE SYSTEM

The Environmental Commission of Ontario's Recognition Award for 2012 was presented to staff of the Ministry of Natural Resources for their waste management system for park visitors in Algonquin Provincial Park.

ALGONQUIN - Every year, the Environmental Commission of Ontario recognizes a government program or project that best meets the goals of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. Ministries are invited to submit nominations, and an arms-length panel reviews them and selects the winner. This week the 2012 commission ‘s Recognition Award was presented to staff of the Ministry of Natural Resources for their waste management system for park visitors in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Waste management presents a major challenge in Algonquin Provincial Park. With a turnover of thousands of people every year, there are many visitors to educate and large quantities of waste to manage.
Staff at the Ministry of Natural Resources designed and implemented a system which has increased the waste diversion rate in the park from about 20 per cent in 2004 to over 40 per cent in 2011. This amounted to over 200 metric tonnes of waste diverted from landfill last year. The staff’s next goal is to reach a 60 per cent diversion rate.
“It’s encouraging to see how a few dedicated public servants can change the way Ontario’s campers experience our parks, while keeping more waste out of landfills and educating visitors and staff about responsible waste management,” said the commissioner.
The system facilitates recycling and organic diversion through the placement of separated waste collection containers along the Highway 60 corridor of the park (between Madawaska and Huntsville). These containers are specially designed with wildlife-resistant lids and are placed two-thirds underground so the coolness of the ground tempers odours.
The commission released a statement that it believes this project is important as it will lessen the environmental impact of the more than one million visits that Algonquin receives annually, and demonstrates that waste diversion can be done in any context. Further, if applied across Ontario’s protected area system, improved waste management could help educate park users and lessen the impact of the more than 10 million visits that these special places receive each year.